Ruth Jebet opened a huge gap halfway through and didn’t look back to win gold in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in the second fastest time ever.

A world record was on the cards at the Olympic Stadium on Monday until the final few meters when Jebet slowed. She crossed in 8 minutes 59.75 seconds, less than a second off the world mark of Russia’s Gulnara Galkina.

Courtney Frerichs, who is from Nixa, Mo., and attended UMKC, finished 11th.

Jebet, who was born in Kenya and represents Bahrain, now holds two of the three fastest times ever in the event.

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